UFC Fight Night: Teixeira vs. Saint Preux - Idiot's Guide Preview to Chris Camozzi vs Tom Watson

The middleweights hope to entertain the audience that doesn't know any better this August 8, 2015 at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee.

The Match Up

Middleweight Chris Camozzi 21-10 vs. Tom Watson 17-8

The Odds

Middleweight Chris Camozzi -150 vs. Tom Watson +130

3 Things You Should Know

1. Camozzi was already cut by the UFC after losing four in a row within the 2013 and 2014 calendar years. He then became a late replacement for Yoel Romero and rematched Ronaldo Souza. You can guess how that went.

Camozzi is, all things considered, a decent journeyman fighter. He's younger than you probably remember, at 28 years of age. But he's not long for this octagon world. Would you like to know more?

2. Despite being 2-4 in his last six, Watson is a much better fighter than his record indicates.

Watson is an interesting guy. He's absolutely tough as nails, and fairly talented on the feet. But he can't put it all together. He's like a big, uncoordinated version of Daron Cruickshank; fighters whose talents are undercut by a break in the phase shifting synapse, too easily neutralized when their strategies must adapt.

3. For all of the criticism, this will probably be an exciting fight.

Camozzi is the veritable jack of all trades. He's the jack of all trades. Which means the sport has passed him by. Camozzi has always been a fighter with a mind for the game. He can strike. He can grapple. He can wrestle. And he can do them well enough that he's capable of picking up wins even in the UFC.

The problem with all fighters like Camozzi is that MMA's metagame is starting to evolve. The way fighters have integrated elbows into their boxing, how the guard has changed, how footwork has become a premium, et cetera. it's a testament to this shift that a fighter as fundamentally sound as Camozzi is so out of his element.

Granted, this is a little overdramatic. After all, Camozzi has been losing to the Rafael Natal's and the Bruno Santos' of the world, but the principles hold true. Conversely, Watson is the kind of fighter who can endure precisely because it pays to be a specialist. He has a stout striking game, packing moderate to above average power in his boxing combinations and kicks.

Prediction